Engagement Rings:

[emaze]

So a good friend of mine just got engaged to his lady. Square cut, YELLOW diamond, with two smaller white diamonds on the side. I just did a quick google search and I was overloaded with questions of what to look for. I.e. cut, size of the stone, color, clarity, setting, etc....etc... I'm just looking for the time being and want to start researching it. No plans on getting hitched quite yet. If anyone has experience, advice, or where to start, I'd appreciate it. I know budget is a big factor so lets just say $4,000-6,000... for the time being.

[Westbrook]

My advice: find a woman who has diamonds in the family <swish!>

[Charlie Delta]

Get her this ring from artist/designer Tobias Wong:

the ultimate reverse setting

nothing is stronger or sharper than this killer ring. also perfect for tagging any surface.

[dunkin deeznuts]

definitely make sure to make sure to ask your girl what kind of diamond cut and setting she is into...

i know your instinct is to be all romantic and surprise her, but if you guys are talking about it (and if you arent, you should rethink it) get her feedback on what style she wants.....last thing you want to do is spend $5-10gs on something she doesnt like

once you know that, you can go from there..and find a diamond and setting that fits in your budget. when you do that, best thing to do is ask buddies who have bought rings who they have worked with, at least that way you have a referal and can be pretty sure they arent a crook

my girl wanted a vintage style ring so I went to Doyle and Doyle. really helpful and prices are fair and my girl loves her ring, but it can be a nerve racking experience.......good luck.........

[corporategrunt]

- Take a quick inventory of your GF's friends, determine who has the best/compatible taste in jewerley/fashion to your GF. If you can, somehow discuss her assessment of her friends - when you need some consultation, you take that friend on your hunt

- or discuss it in a blunt-open manner with your girl

- take your mom's, even if it's crappy, the sentimental value aspect may carry you.

on a sidenote, i was at a dinner where a crazy gf of a buddy of mine declared out loud 'I already got my ring picked out, uh huh!' poor dude sat there staring into the space with a frozen semi-smile on his face. another friend and I just looked at each other and winced in his pain.

[@work]

Yup, take your mom, sis or married/engaged friends for sure.

Took me a couple of months of reseaching (the 4 c's) till I found the perfect ring. Good luck.

[eam]

Get your future lady to be an Edouard Larmaraud ring - it has a diamond and a magnifying glass on top of the 'rock'....hahaha

But for reals De Beers...

[MiniW]

i just went though this whole process last month. here's some of what I learned and did:

- the average price people spend on rings is about $4K (use this info anyway you want)

- take a look at your gf's jewelry, is it mostly silver or gold? pick a ring with that color in mind.

- go to a few jewelry stores (a recommendation from a friend or acquaintance is usually better than ones that you hear on radio ads), Personally I went to two stores, one was recommended by someone we know, the saleslady was very nice, seemed overly excited to meet us (I went with my gf the first time) and showed us a wide range of rings and was very considerate of what our price range was. She even taught us all about what to look for in diamonds. (4 c's, etc.) The other store we went to was a name we heard all the time on the radio, the saleslady there was impatient, ran us around the show room to see all the different settings but we felt too rushed to make any decision (therefore when we left we were just as confused as before). Then she showed us a few diamonds that while were in the price range and size we asked for, they had crappy cuts and inclusions and she didn't say anything about it other than "look how big it is." We could tell because of the stuff we learned from the first store. Anyways this just shows you that you should look around and buy from a place you feel comfortable with.

- I looked on the internet for ideas but decided to buy from a actual store and this is definitely recommended, I may have spent a little more money not buying from the internet, but I was able to inspect the stones and the ring in person before it was all put together, the saleslady kept great communication, and helped me out with insurance and every problem I could think of through the purchase. I am not sure if you would get this level of service buying online.

- since I bought the stones and ring separately it took about a month to make

Lastly a lot of the process is instinct, use your best judgement and unless someone is trying hard to screw you over, you should just be fine.

best of luck!

(edit: the diamond and magnifying glass ring is awesome, too bad I didn't come across that earlier)

[gimmegimme]

If the lady isn't looking for a solitaire and wants a simple band (what...it could happen?), the Love ring from Cartier is very nice (the one with the screws). That way you could get one to match. They come in no diamonds, half diamonds/half screws, all diamonds, rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, grey gold..and the list goes on. Believe it or not, they're not as expensive as you might think...starting around $1000 I believe.

[eam]

If the lady isn't looking for a solitaire and wants a simple band (what...it could happen?), the Love ring from Cartier is very nice (the one with the screws). That way you could get one to match. They come in no diamonds, half diamonds/half screws, all diamonds, rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, grey gold..and the list goes on. Believe it or not, they're not as expensive as you might think...starting around $1000 I believe.

Georg Jenson is another one to look out for.

They make great jewellery

You know what a pain-in-the-ass it is when your bling gets caught on a silk scarf/shirt/tie or on your jean pockets...I would opt for an embedded diamond/s or a 'Tension' setting...

[emaze]

Thanks for all the replies... I'm a long way from actually buying. Need an apt. first... but just wanted to test the waters.

[Guest jmatsu]

Two Words

Cubic Zirconia

[Fuuma]

Two Words

Cubic Zirconia

Didn't they use to give away those plastic rings at the dentist? That could work...

[MiniW]

Two Words

Cubic Zirconia

three words:

bachelor for life

(not necc. a bad thing mind you)

[Guest jmatsu]

three words:

bachelor for life

(not necc. a bad thing mind you)

i've been really thinking about this...

there's so much social pressure esp at my age, to get married. i don't have a hard time making girlfriends, but after a couple months shit just gets tired (and this could be my fault as well).

does the cliche of true love actually exist in this modern world?

[sybaritical]

Three words.

Vibrating

Cock

Ring

[insomaniac]

Georg Jenson is another one to look out for.

They make great jewellery

You know what a pain-in-the-ass it is when your bling gets caught on a silk scarf/shirt/tie or on your jean pockets...I would opt for an embedded diamond/s or a 'Tension' setting...

this one is one of my faves, along with a lot of the art deco antique diamond rings with stepped diamond shoulders.

if you're going for a more simple conventional look, i'd focus more on the clearity and the cut. personally, i like the 'princess cut'... because all girls want to be princesses deep down.

[ghulkhan]

One of my old friends used to date on of the DeBeer diamond girls during HS at St. Andrews. We joked around how if you could give her an onion ring...

[cmykhustla]

get one of those diamonds that they make out of a dead relative. I forget what they are called, but it's for real

[Guest jmatsu]

fuck...harry winston already!

[homme.homme]

I love that Georg Jensen Centenary ring pictured above. Thats what my girl is getting, I chose it but discussed it with her and she likes it.

Now I just get her tapping her wedding ring finger saying "I'm waiting"... we have discussed marriage and all that shit but I haven't proposed or anything. Still got a few years for that.

Someone else mentioned the Cartier love ring - at the moment thats the wedding band my girlfriend and I have chosen for me - half diamond in white gold but this grey gold you mentioned sounds interesting. Grey as in a matte silver colour??

[heBAY]

Fuck a ring. Give her the skull of a deceased family member.

The making of a truly special moment.

[shoreman1782]

Like miniW, I went to a variety of jewelers, and was put off by the big name places (my price range was around $5k). They had a great selection of diamonds and settings, but the salespeople were pretty mediocre. Really preferred the smaller shops. Ended up putting an estate (uh, used) diamond in a custom setting with pair of sapphires.

Only advice I have is don't finance it, if you can help it, and insure it once you get it. I've had several friends borrow $5k+ to buy an engagement ring--if you have to borrow that much, you're not ready to get married. Save for it or get a more modest ring.

[eam]

My friend got a diamond tattoo instead of a wedding ring...

Comfort bands are the way to go, doesnt give you blisters or cut into your finger.

Opt for a Platinum (950) they keep their 'silver' color, White Gold (750) tends to turn yellow through wear and tear. Just rememeber the numbers on the inside of the ring 950 for platinum and 750 for white gold.

For the diamond Brilliant cut and Step Cut are the shiniest...

And Man FU*K those bitties and kooks that give you a bad look when you walk in the store...I hate when they look you up and down...I dont want to give them the commission. Just know what you want and are looking for, know the best cuts, settings, metals etc...

[Brienneoftarth]

I personally would never buy a diamond engagement ring. Not necessarily for political social reasons but more for the fact that they are worthless jewels. They're not rare at all and they're a horrible investment. Diamond rings depreciate the minute you take em out of the store. I plan on finding a precious stone that is actually precious and using that for an engagement ring.

[emaze]

^precious stone like what for example?

[eam]

^precious stone like what for example?

Ruby, Emerald, Sapphire...gems

[buffalocloud7]

I personally would never buy a diamond engagement ring...I plan on finding a precious stone that is actually precious and using that for an engagement ring.

sweet thought, but few girls want a colored engagement ring. most pretty much just want diamonds...

[mwrenchd]

My rules of thumb:

Buy the ring in a metal that coordinates with her other jewelry.

Clarity VS2 or better, color H or better (you probably won't be able to distinguish above VS1, F without magnification)

If you don't talk to your girl ahead of time, round brilliant is a safe choice for the cut.

Buy the most carat you can afford paid cash up front.

I took my time looking, probably shopped around for 6 months or so while I saved. Ended up buying online from Blue Nile and was very happy with it.

[Brienneoftarth]

i'd either get a ruby or emerald. I'm the type of guy who does not care what the girl wants.